法国生物学家阿龙纳斯在美国完成科考工作，正打算启程回国，突接美国海军部的邀请，乘驱逐舰前往清除海上怪物，不想驱逐舰反遭重创，阿龙纳斯亦被“怪物”捕获。原来，这是一只潜水船，船长尼摩在荒岛上秘密建造了船身坚固的潜水船“鹦鹉螺号”，并能利用海水发电。尼摩船长邀请阿龙纳斯乘“鹦鹉螺号”在海底旅行，从太平洋出发，途经珊瑚岛、印度洋、红海、地中海，进入大西洋，遍观水下奇异的景象及种种罕见的海生动植物，历经搁浅、土人围攻、与鲨鱼搏斗、冰山阻路、章鱼来袭等险境，*终抵达挪威海岸。
小说情节并不复杂，出场人物亦只四位，作者巧妙地将科学知识、逼真的生活场景与诡奇而富于诗意的美妙幻想融合起来，既扣人心弦，又不能不引起读者的无限遐思。

PART ONE
CHAPTER I A SHIFTING REEF
CHAPTER II PRO AND CON
CHAPTER III I FORM MY RESOLUTION
CHAPTER IV NED LAND
CHAPTER V AT A VENTURE
CHAPTER VI AT FULL STEAM
CHAPTER VII AN UNKNOWN SPECIES OF WHALE
CHAPTER VIII MOBILIS IN MOBILI
CHAPTER IX NED LAND'S TEMPERS
CHAPTER X THE MAN OF THE SEAS
CHAPTER XI ALL BY ELECTRICITY
CHAPTER XII SOME FIGURES
CHAPTER XIII THE BLACK RIVER
CHAPTER XIV A NOTE OF INVITATION
CHAPTER XV A WALK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
CHAPTER XVI A SUBMARINE FOREST
CHAPTER XVII FOUR THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE PACIFIC
CHAPTER XVIII VANIKORO
CHAPTER XIX TORRES STRAITS
CHAPTER XX A FEW DAYS ON LAND
CHAPTER XXI CAPTAIN NEMO'S THUNDERBOLT
CHAPTER XXII "AEGRI SOMNIA''
CHAPTER XXIII THE CORAL KINGDOM
PART Two
CHAPTER I THE INDIAN OCEAN
CHAPTER II A NOVEL PROPOSAL OF CAPT NEMO'S
CHAPTER Ill A PEARL OF TEN MILLIONS
CHAPTER IV THE RED SEA
CHAPTER V THE ARABIAN TUNNEL
CHAPTER VI TItE GRECIAN ARCHIPELAGO
CHAPTER VII THE MEDITERRANEAN IN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS
CHAPTER VIII VIGO BAY
CHAPTER IX A VANISHED CONTINENT ATLANTIS
CHAPTER X THE SUBMARINE COAL-MINES
CHAVrER XI THE SARGASSO SEA
CHAPTER XII CACHALOTS AND WHALES
CHAPTER XIH "THE ICEBERG
CHAPTER XIV THE SOUTH POLE
CHAPTER XV ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT?
CHAPTER XVI WANT OF AIR
CHAPTER XVII FROM CAPE HORN TO THE AMAZON
CHAPTER XVIII THE POULPS
CHAPTER XIX THE GULF STREAM
CHAPTER XX FROM LATrrUDE 470 24' TO LONGITUDE 17°28'
CHAPTER XXI A HECATOMB
CHAPTER XXII THE LAST.WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO
CHAPTER XXIII CONCLUSION